The blogosphere is just as racist and sexist as the mainstream media that I didn’t particular care for. I am glad the LA Times is going away, but oddly the electronic beast seems to be having the exact same problems and they seem quite proud to do nothing about it. It’s not like linking people cost money, but it’s not about money it’s about power and control of information.

And this isn’t about me. This is about my respect for the craft of journalism. This kind of mother theresa journalism that doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes especially the people with the real power and wants to be a source of change by working with evil a little bit is a dangerous trend.

To me journalism, advocacy, and politics should be all in different camps, because you can’t tell the truth if you’re trying to be someone’s friend.

You can’t tell the truth if at some point you want to get a job at an organization that is holding the purse strings.

I think these partnerships with private schools and various funding agencies with particular political slants is a dangerous thing for the truth.

Can you really write a biting piece on the racism of a bank that just gave a food bank in the neighborhood 50,000 dollars, I mean you can you? Can you write a biting piece on the inequities of the reaction of a USC grad getting killed by a hit and run and a regular guy in South LA being killed by a hit and run when the people from USC are giving you money.

I mean come on how objective is this site going to be when there is a whole group of very powerful people with money who keep this program alive that you can’t even talk about.

The reason South LA is in the state that it is in probably is very connected with the very people who have been in LA for years and are probably USC alum or at least married to them.

USC is an interesting place it has enough money to make sure the people in the community don’t ever complain too loudly on all of the little extras they get in comparison to the community as a whole.

Browne

The important thing is the work that has been accomplished. And again, you are to be applauded for your fine work with the students of Crenshaw. That’s what counts. Not sideline moaning.

Memo to Gustavo Arellano: consider spending your time doing what you do best — publicly apologizing for the Village Voice Media pirates that have slashed much of SoCal journalism. That you (so far) survived their blade is only a matter of serendipity. The article that your company brothers published last week in L.A. Weekly on LAPD Chief Bratton was one of the worst pieces of trash in recent history. It should be widely circulated as an example of how NOT to do journalism. If the Weekly or the OC Weekly had one regular writer with the talent and tenacity of a Ms. Henry, we would all be better off.

But indeed it would be nice to have more commentary on the terrific content of Intersections, which is, after all, the point.

Browne, as Emily said, certainly bloggers like you and others are the people who have done so much already to move into the space left by the paucity of coverage by the so-called mainstream media.

And there are publications like The Wave, that have been doing great work for years, and have now become strong online presences.

But I think there’s still a lot of room for more. As you’ve often pointed out, there are a whole lot of stories that are missed, or the angle on them seems skewed. So, I salute Intersections for stepping up in the way that they have, particularly in mentoring high school kids so that the next generation can begin to own and tell the stories of their communities as they see and experience them. I don’t think we can possibly do that too often.

Plus, I think cooperative ventures and partnerships will be increasingly important as all of us grapple for new models.

Thank you, Browne, for your comment. Unfortunately, it has been the case that many worthy blogs in the South L.A. area do not get the recognition they deserve, despite being essential resources to the community. I am particularly grateful to Lynwood Watch (which recently moved to http://lynwoodwatch.blogspot.com/) for providing an one-stop place for information covering the city of Lynwood and fostering conversation among the community. This is a great example of grass-roots media.

Not saying that this isn’t nice, but you know the lack of acknowledgement of the people of color who do write on this topic by more mainstream blogs is appalling.

Browne

you should be golden. good work, guys and good luck. here’s to hoping you carry this work on past your academic career — and that there will be a place to do it!

I’ll put up a link to it later.

But although I have exactly zero influence on such things (as this is not my project), it sounds like a great idea to me.

Best,
D.